Suction cleaning device having agitator drive belting in air duct and conversion passageway independent of belting



HUMPHREY SUCTION CLEANING DEVICE HAVING AGITATOR DRIVE Aug. 18, 1953 w BELTING IN AIR DUCT AND CONVERSION PASSAGEWAY INDEPENDENT OF BELTING .2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 15, 1949 INVENTOR. Warren A. Humphrey BY ATTORNEY.

g- 1953 w. A. HUMPHREY SUCTION CLEANING DEVICE HAVING AGITATOR DRIVE BELTING IN AIR DUCT AND CONVERSION PASSAGEWAY INDEPENDENT OF BELTING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jline 15, 1949 INVENTOR. 17

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Patented Aug. 18, 19?

SUCTION CLEANING DEVICE HAVING AGI- TATOR DRIVE BELTING IN AIR DUCT AND CONVERSION PASSAGEWAY INDEPEND- ENT OF BELTING Warren A. Humphrey, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application June 15, 1949, Serial No. 99,204

3 Claims.

My invention relates to the art of cleaning apparatuses and in particular to a suction cleaning device provided with a power driven cleaning element in the suction nozzle thereof and adapted to be converted to oiT-the-fioor cleaning operation by a conversion device.

It is an object of my invention to provide a suction cleaning device of the type having a rotary agitator in the suction nozzle, a motor dr ven suction air fan mounted on an axis parallel to th axis of rotation of the agitator characterized by the provision of an air duct entering the suction air fan on one side of the cleaner and entering the nozzle substantially at the center thereof.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a suction cleaner having a drive mechanism including belting running in the suction air stream which drives a rotary cleaning element in the cleaning nozzle at the center thereof from a fan shaft on one side of the cleaner.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a suction cleaner including a belt driven agitator in which the belting runs in the air duct connecting the suction nozzle to the suction air fan and having provision for a dusting tool converter element to be inserted into the air duct in a manner completely to seal the nozzle and without straddling belting or other moving parts of the agitator drive mechanism.

Other and more specific objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view partly in section of a suction cleaning apparatus embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view taken along the line 22 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows with certain parts above the plane of the section line shown by dashed lines.

The suction cleaning apparatus illustrated in the drawing comprises an ambulatory frame indicated generally at I which is supported by front and rear supporting wheels 2 and 3, respectively. A manipulating handle structure 4 is pivotally secured at 5 to the rear portion of the frame approximately above the rear supporting wheels 3.

The forward portion of the frame I is hollowed out to form a laterally elongated surface cleaning suction air nozzle 1 within which is rotatably 2 mounted a surface cleaning element 8. The cleaning element 8 carries a brush strip 9 and rigid agitator bars II) on the periphery thereof which are designed to sweep and agitate a surface covering drawn up against the mouth of the suction nozzle 1 in the operation of the device.

The front wall of the nozzle structure I is defined by the downwardly curved top and front wall of the main frame structure I. The rear wall of the nozzle structure is defined in part by a vertical partition wall I2 which, as shown in Figure 1, extends from the right hand extremity of the nozzle to a point adjacent the center thereof. The rear wall of the nozzle is also bounded in part by a slightly angularly positioned partition wall I3 extending from the left hand extremity of the nozzle, as viewed in Figure 1, to a position adjacent th center thereof terminating in spaced relation to the end of the partition I2. Adjacent the central portion of the nozzle the partition I3 joins with a rearwardly directed partition wall I4 extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal center line of the main frame I. The partition wall I4 merges into a partition wall I5 which is substantially parallel to the wall I2 and extends in spaced relation thereto to a point positioned to the right, as viewed in Figure 1, of the center point termination of the partition I2. The partition I5 bridges the gap between the facing ends of the partitions I2 and I3 and forms an air channel I6 positioned parallel to the hollow nozzle 1 and in communication therewith through the gap between the walls I2 and I3.

The end of the cleaner frame structure defines an air passage II which communicates with the passage I6 and terminates at its forward end against the wall l2. This passage is defined by an outer side wall I8 which is spaced from a frame wall I9 forming one wall of a fan chamber within which is positioned a suction air fan 20. Th wall I9 is provided with a central opening 2| forming an air inlet or fan eye. The suction air fan 20 is driven by a suitable electrical motor which is encased within a housing 22 forming'part of the main frame structure I.

The fan 20 is provided with a conventional discharge duct which is housed within a rearwardly projecting portion 23 of the frame structure I. It is to the frame portion 23 that the rear wheels 3 are connected. The air exhaust 23 discharges into the usual filter bag structure 24.

The left hand end of the frame structure, as

viewed in Figure l, is provided with a housin identical in appearance with the housing l8. This however is a dummy construction to make the cleaner body symmetrical.

The outer end of the fan shaft 2 6 carries a pulley 21 which is connected by a belt 3! to a pulley 28 mounted on one end of a jack shaft 29.

The other end of the jack shaft 29 carries a pulley 30 connected by a belt 32 to a pulley 33 formed in the central portion of the agitator 8. The pulleys 21-28 and belt'3l are in theair duct l1 whereas the pulleys 30"33and belt 32 "are partially in the nozzle and partially in the air duct l6, hence both belts run'in a'moving dirt laden air stream which has been foundito facilitate the operation of suction cleaner drive belts and to prolong their life.

The jack shaft 29 is supportedin bearings36 secured to the upper portion of the frame l within a rectangular substantially vertically extending housing 3l.- The housing 3! extends from the bottom to the top of the frame structure and projects into the air'duct it. The housing 3! removes the bearingste from the dirt laden-air stream and protects them from the abrasive action of dirt. The bottom wall of the cleaner housing includes a removable plate 40 securedto the-bottom of the frame I by aplurality ofscrews H. The plate 4% closes a portion of the forward end of the bottom portion of air duct ll, the whole of the bottom portion of airduct It, the junction between the nozzle] andtheair duct it, and the bottom rear portion-of the nozzle 1. The lower end of the walls forming'the chamber 31 and of the walls l2, l3, l4 and I5, all abut the upper face of plate 40 to seal all of the air ducts, and .to seal the chamber 37 from the dirt laden air stream. The removable plate all provides for ready access to the lower side of thenozzle, to both belts'and to the jackshaft.

The central portion of the end plate 58 may have a removable section, not shown, to provide for access to the belt BI and pulley 21.

The top wall of the casing at its center portion abovethe air duct i6 is provided with a rectangular opening indicated at providing access to the air duct l6 rearwardly of the jack shaft 29, belt 32 and pulley 3G and to the left,in Figure l, of the chamber -3'l. The opening '45 is normally closed by a cover plate 46 pivotally mounted on the upperportion of the frame i. As shown in Figure 2, the plate A5 is in itsopen position and a tubular air conducting dusting tool converter element 43 'is inserted into the opening 45. The dusting tool :28 is adapted 'to :be connected in a known manner to a fiexible'hose carrying any one of a number of cleaning tools onits operating end. The dusting 'tool converting element 48 comprises a cylindrical hose connecting socket portion 49 which merges into a connecting conduit 59 of generally rectangular cross-section. The section .50 is dimensioned'to slide into the air channel It and snugly fit with the marginal walls of the opening d5 to form an air seal therewith. The lower end of the conduit 50 extends to and seals against thebottom closure plate of the suction air channel.

Referring now to Figure 3, the manner in which the dusting tool cooperates with the air channels' to seal thesame and to avoid the belting will become apparent. The end'wall I l of the air duct i6 is provided with a rib 52 inclined atan angle which is parallel to the wall I2. The rectangular section of the converter 48 is provided with a front wall 53 adapted to close the opening *51'facing into the air duct [6.

span between the end of the rectangular housing 3'! and the end of Wall 13 rearwardly of shaft 29 and pulley 30 thus sealing the nozzle 1 and its driving mechanism from the air channel It at this point. The end wallof the converter tool is provided with a channel portion 54 which is shaped complementally to the rib 52 and is adapted to engage therewith to form a positioning and guiding element for the dusting tool. The converter is also provided with a side wall '55, opposite to the wall 53, which lies against the Wall l5. That portion of the end wall of the conversion element "within the cleaner body opposite'to the wall- 54 is removed to provide an It is readily 1 apparent from the foregoing that the dusting tool converter completely seals the air ducts'lfi and 'l! from the floor nozzle '1 without straddling any moving parts, and this is accomplished with the belting'in the air stream. The complete air seal with the "belting in the "air ducts is achieved by sealing a portion of thedrive mechanism in the housing 37 'andsealing theconversion element against one wall of the housing 37-.

The foregoing arrangement is particularly advantageous because it permits the dustina tool converting element to be inserted into the forward top portionof the cleanerwhere that is most easily accomplished. The-top center mounting of the conversion-element so connects the dusting -tool converter to the cleaner that the cleaner is readily pulled-after the dusting tool on its supportingwheels 2 and :3 without anytendency to overturn or to travel in a direction not followingthe-operator, The present construction also realizes-the advantagsof full center drive of theagitator with a 'horizontal motor fan unit rotating onanaxis parallel to the axis of the agitator.

While I have illustrated and describedthe invention in considerable detail, it is to be understoodthat various changes .mayibe made in the arrangement, proportion and -.construction of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention orthe scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim:-

I. Suction cleaning apparatus comprising a casing structure defining a suction nozzle, a suction-air fan chamber and 'an. air duct communieating the'zair' inlet 1 portion of said fan achamber with'the -centralaportion of said nozzle, amotor fan unitlin-said casing-having a fan in said fan chamb'entashafton said fan-extending into said air-duct, a rotary cleaning element mounted in said nozzle; mechanism for driving said cleaning element "from said 'fan shaft including a first belt in saidair duct arranged to be driven from said fan shaft, a second belt in said air duct arranged-to drive said'rotary cleaning element, said belts-being 'inspaced relation to each other, and =-m'echanism for conveying driving motion from said first belt to said'second belt having spaced-beltconnecting portions in'said air duct and an intermediate portionwhich is air sealed fromsai'dair duct; andmeans forming a converter passageway from the "top central portion of said casing structure at thefront thereof into saidair duct-between the portions ofsaid airduct housingsaid'belts andadj acent the portion of said driving motion conveying mechanism sealed from said air duct whereby a converting tool may be inserted into said air duct to seal the same from said nozzle at a point in said air duct which does not house any part of said driving mechamsm.

2. Suction cleaning apparatus comprising a body structure, a surface cleaning nozzle extending across said structure, a rotary cleaning element mounted in said nozzle, a motor fan unit in said structure mounted for rotation on an axis substantially parallel to said nozzle, said motor fan unit having an air inlet adjacent one side of said structure, means in said structure defining a suction air duct communicating the inlet of said fan with the central portion of said nozzle, a shaft on said fan extending into said air duct at one side of said structure, a jack shaft having one end in said air duct adjacent said one side of said structure and its other end in said air duct rearwardly of the center of said rotary cleaning element, and a pair of belts one connecting said shaft and jack shaft and the other connecting said cleaning element and said jack shaft, means journalling said jack shaft on said body structure in air sealed relation to the portion of said air duct between said belts, said body structure having an opening in the top central portion thereof between said nozzle and said motor to that portion of said air duct between the portions of said air duct housing said belts whereby a converting tool may be inserted into said air duct to seal off said nozzle from said fan.

3. Suction cleaning apparatus comprising a casing structure defining a suction nozzle, a suction air fan chamber having an air inlet portion adjacent one side of said structure and an air duct communicating the air inlet portion of said fan chamber with the central portion of said nozzle and having a central portion angularly related to its end portions, a motor fan unit in said casing having the fan in said fan chamber, a shaft on said fan extending into said air duct, a rotary cleaning element mounted in said nozzle, and mechanism for driving said cleaning element from said fan shaft including a belt in each end portion of said air duct and a shaft drivingly connecting said belts having its ends in said air duct and its central portion WARREN A. HUTMPHREY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 25 1,900,885 1,900,889 2,148,656 2,166,863 2,197,641 2,253,289 2,253,309 2,366,481

35 Number Name Date Smellie Mar. 7, 1933 Becker Mar. 7, 1933 Smellie Feb. 28, 1939 Frame July 18, 1939 Holm-Hansen Apr. 16, 1940 Demaree Aug. 19, 1941 Smellie Aug. 19, 1941 Berg Jan. 2, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Sept. 5, 1947 

